Pesticide concentrates and other highly toxic liquid concentrates are commonly shipped to farmers and other users in metal containers of five gallons or more capacity. The users then mix such concentrates with relatively large quantities of water (dilutions of 1000 to 1 or more are common) for application as required. It is in the opening and handling of such containers in connection with the diluting procedure that risks are especially great. Splashing of the concentrate during an opening or pouring procedure, spilling of the contents during handling of an opened container, and contacting residual concentrate in or upon the surface of a discarded container, present serious risks not only for users but also for others who might touch such containers (e.g., children, trash collectors, pets, wildlife, etc.). While experienced users generally wear protective clothing while opening and handling such containers, the use of such clothing is often inconvenient and uncomfortable and presents additional risks because direct contact with concentrate clinging to such garments may readily occur as the clothing is put on or taken off, or otherwise handled as, for example, in laundering operations.
Even where extreme precautions are taken to avoid skin contact with the highly toxic liquid concentrates, significant dangers may still exist in the form of vapors which escape after the containers are opened and especially when their contents are poured into tanks containing water for dilution. Finally, it is believed that errors in following the directions on such containers and, in particular, in mixing the concentrates to produce the wrong dilutions, present additional risks, especially if the final solutions are of excessive strength.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which allows a liquid pesticide concentrate or other toxic concentrate to be removed from its shipping container and transferred to an applicator tank in such a way that the user and others are protected against exposure to such concentrate, including the vapors thereof and the rinse solutions which result when such a container is flushed with water.
Another object is to provide an apparatus which may be easily and safely manipulated to pierce the wall of a concentrate container, extract a selected and accurately measured amount of such concentrate for automatic mixing with water and, when the container is empty, flush the inside surfaces of that container as well as surfaces of the apparatus exposed to such concentrate, so that the emptied container may be safely handled and discarded. A still further object is to provide an apparatus which protects the user even if some of the toxic contents of a container should spray or otherwise escape as a discharge opening is formed in the container wall.
Briefly, the apparatus takes the form of a supporting frame for a conventional pesticide concentrate container, a top member hingedly connected to the frame for movement between raised and lowered positions, a piercing tube mounted upon the top member for piercing a wall of the pesticide container as the hinged top member is swung into its lowered position, an elongated suction tube telescopingly carried by the piercing tube for movement between a retracted position (wherein its lower end is concealed within the piercing tube) and any of a plurality of extended positions (wherein the lower end of the suction tube is extended into a container to withdraw a desired amount of pesticide concentrate therefrom). The suction tube is provided with indicia means so that a user may easily adjust the position of the suction tube to withdraw a measured amount of concentrate from a pierced container. Thus, the suction tube performs the multiple functions of serving as the concentrate extracting tube, indicating to the user the amount of concentrate that will be withdrawn, and automatically limiting such withdrawal to the indicated amount.
An automatically-expandable shroud extends about the lower end portion of the piercing tube so as to contact the wall of a concentrate container just prior to a piercing step, and to remain in contact with such wall throughout the piercing, extracting and flushing operations. The shroud, piercing tube, and suction tube are so dimensioned and interrelated that all surfaces coming in contact with concentrate during such operations, and the interior surfaces of the emptied container, may be thoroughly rinsed with water before the hinged top member is raised to release the container.
Other features, objects, and advantages of the apparatus will become apparent from the specification and drawings.